Help, how should i practice for band audition?

[Blazphemer]

I have been offered to try out as 2nd guitar player for a Thrash band in the style of mid-era Slayer meets Dark Angel. I am freaking out and i need to practice hardcore before playing with them.

anyone of you guys have any experience or pointers to how i practice in the best way possible?

any help would be much appreciated.

[VACharvel]

Well, I'd get with the band members and get like 4 of the songs they are working on and see if they can give you a CD or tape to learn the material. This will show you're serious about joining and interested in learning the material on your own time, and also show your abilities to transcribe to learn material.

I hate going to an audition blind, I won't do it. I'd at least like to know what I'm walking into before I arrive, and that if I am interested enough to join, to be prepared.

I love to play, but I dislike jamming for the sake of jamming. My time is limited as is my tolerance for bullshit, as I'm sure a lot of people's is. Nothing I hate more than somebody coming to a practice that were supposed to learn 2-6 songs to work up and they arrive unprepared.

That's how I'd approach it. If they're serious, they'll give you the material or let you know what to work up for their gig.

[OnlineStageGear]

Get as many of the songs down as humanly possible. If this band is gigging, they want to get you in the loop as soon as possible.

[quadperson]

See, I would be at a loss there...I have a hard time learning some stuff by ear. I was PISSED when powertabs got shut down, lol.

[dimobag]

See, I would be at a loss there...I have a hard time learning some stuff by ear. I was PISSED when powertabs got shut down, lol.

DUDE! Powertabs are still working. Tabs are everywhere try ULTIMATE GUITAR TABS ARCHIVE.

[axehunter]

+ 1 on ultimate guitar archive...it's pretty decent. Good luck on the audition.

[VACharvel]

See, I would be at a loss there...I have a hard time learning some stuff by ear.

You're doing yourself a huge injustice by this...transcribing is getting to be a lost art unfortunately. It's relatively easy now with all the transcription tools available on the PC and stand-alone units like the Tascam CD Trainer's...

Back in the caveman era, I used to scour yardsales etc. to find used reel-to-reel tape players to slow down stuff and have it dropped an octave in pitch.

TAB is too easy in a way, but many times it's inaccurate at best.

Put the time in to do this, you will gain a lot from doing it, and the only way to be better at something is to practice it on a consistent basis.

[phill_up]

Well, I'd get with the band members and get like 4 of the songs they are working on and see if they can give you a CD or tape to learn the material. This will show you're serious about joining and interested in learning the material on your own time, and also show your abilities to transcribe to learn material.

I hate going to an audition blind, I won't do it. I'd at least like to know what I'm walking into before I arrive, and that if I am interested enough to join, to be prepared.

I love to play, but I dislike jamming for the sake of jamming. My time is limited as is my tolerance for bullshit, as I'm sure a lot of people's is. Nothing I hate more than somebody coming to a practice that were supposed to learn 2-6 songs to work up and they arrive unprepared.

That's how I'd approach it. If they're serious, they'll give you the material or let you know what to work up for their gig.

+1 +2

even if you didn't have the hard parts perfected they could get a feel for you. its not how good you sound but how good you make the band sound.

Then... every guitarist has there 5 minutes of "Shredability" to let them know what you are capable of

[RR05xx]

Sometimes learning other peoples stuff is tough and unnessary. I would ask them if there are a few covers that they like and then learn those if possible. YMMV but that is my thought and what my band tends to try to do with auditions.

The big thing is if you agree to show up on a certain day/time and that you are going to learn X songs, then do just that. The biggest turn off a band gets is a guy that shows up late and doesnt know the agreed material.


My band was hunting for a bass player and had a bunch people show up unprepared. Fuk that dont waste my time get the fuk out it all I could think every time.

[MartinBarre]

What I do to learn songs is put them on PC and use my Toneport GX to play along to them through headphones. You can use it to loop any hard bits, such as solos, so it just plays that bit repeatedly until you figure it out.
Toneport GXs are dirt cheap, every guitarist should have one IMO!

[OnlineStageGear]

You're doing yourself a huge injustice by this...transcribing is getting to be a lost art unfortunately. It's relatively easy now with all the transcription tools available on the PC and stand-alone units like the Tascam CD Trainer's...

Back in the caveman era, I used to scour yardsales etc. to find used reel-to-reel tape players to slow down stuff and have it dropped an octave in pitch.

TAB is too easy in a way, but many times it's inaccurate at best.

Put the time in to do this, you will gain a lot from doing it, and the only way to be better at something is to practice it on a consistent basis.

I agree but tabs shouldn't be completely ignored. I sometimes get to a goofy part and just go "What the hell is that". Tabs help here, unless the guy writing the tab did the same thing at the same part and just wrote down some gobbly gook.

[Jayster]

Interesting thread ,

Just tonight one of my friends brought over this guy 'who could play really good '....

He wasn't bad - but ,it was impossible to play with him.He was only playing 'original material' ,with constantly shifting time signatures (hell the structure was changing to quick ,for me to make heads or tails of it.Maybe with repeated listings !!!)

However my point is ;

You should learn to play in different 'pockets ' and also how to ' groove '.Aside from that everyone else is spot on !!!


OH SHIT YEAH ~~~~~~~~~~ Above all else also ENJOY playing ,or there's probalbly someone better suited for jamming with !!

[Floating Seeds]

yeh, i hate jamming with people who are in their own little world doing their own thing, it's much easier to connect by just playing other peoples songs to get a feel for how we play before doing any original stuff.

[Inearthed]

Every band I've tried out for I've been offered the position simply because most of the people that show up don't even know the band's material - as in they haven't even listened to their recordings! Find out what they want to play live. I usually learn as many of their songs as possible prior to the first rehearsal / practice and each time it has impressed. I showed up to one band with their songs charted out and tabs for all their material and they were blown away.

Metal bands (thrash bands in particular) are going to probably want the rhythm to be up to speed and tight. I'd even say work on playing the songs faster than normal as most thrash bands play faster than their CDs in practice and live. If you're going for a lead guitarist position have a couple leads figured out / worked up.